Have you ever run out of airtime and needed to contact someone urgently? Or maybe you just wanted to save some money and let the other person pay for the call? If you are a Telkom user in South Africa, you can use a handy feature called “Please Call Me” to send a free SMS to any other Telkom user, asking them to call you back.
In this guide, we will show you how to send a “Please Call Me” on Telkom, as well as answer some frequently asked questions about this service. By the end of this article, you will know everything you need to know about sending and receiving “Please Call Me” messages on Telkom.
What is a “Please Call Me” and how does it work?
A “Please Call Me” is a free SMS that you can send to any other Telkom user, asking them to call you back. You can send up to 10 “Please Call Me” messages per day, and each message is valid for 24 hours. The recipient of the message will see your phone number and a text that says “Please Call Me”.
To send a “Please Call Me” on Telkom, you need to dial a special USSD code on your phone, followed by the recipient’s number and the hash (#) key. The USSD code for Telkom is 140. For example, if you want to send a “Please Call Me” to the number 0812345678, you would dial *140*0812345678# and press the call button.
You will then receive a confirmation message that says “Your Please Call Me request has been sent to 0812345678”. The recipient will receive a message that says “Please Call Me 0812345678”.
A detailed step-by-step guide is below:
- Dial *140# from your Telkom mobile phone.
- You will see a menu with two options: “Please Call Me” and “Manage Please Call Me”.
- Select “Please Call Me” by pressing 1 and then send.
- You will be asked to enter the phone number of the person you want to call you back. Make sure you enter the full number, starting with 0.
- Press send and wait for a confirmation message.
- You will receive a message saying “Your Please Call Me request has been sent to [phone number]”. The person you requested will also receive a message saying “[Your name] requests you to please call them”.
- Wait for the person to call you back.
Why should you use a “Please Call Me” on Telkom?
There are many reasons why you might want to use a “Please Call Me” on Telkom, such as:
- It is free of charge. You don’t need to have any airtime or data to use it.
- It is easy and quick to use. You only need to dial a USSD code and enter a phone number.
- It is available 24/7. You can use it anytime and anywhere, as long as you have network coverage.
- It is compatible with any Telkom mobile phone, whether it is a smartphone or a feature phone.
- It is discreet and polite. You don’t need to explain why you need someone to call you back. You just send a simple message and wait for their response.
- You have run out of airtime and need to contact someone urgently.
- You want to save some money and let the other person pay for the call.
- You want to remind someone to call you back without being too pushy.
- You want to send a subtle hint to someone that you are interested in them.
- You want to avoid a long conversation and just get a quick answer.
Whatever your reason, a “Please Call Me” is a convenient and cost-effective way to communicate with other Telkom users.
How to check your balance on Telkom
If you want to check how much airtime you have left on your Telkom account, you can use another USSD code: *188#. Simply dial *188# and press the call button, and you will see your balance on your screen. You can also use this code to check your data and SMS bundles.
How to send a “Please Call Me” to other networks
If you want to send a “Please Call Me” to someone who is not on Telkom, you will need to use a different USSD code, depending on the network they are using. Here are the codes for the other major networks in South Africa:
- MTN: *121*recipient’s number#
- Vodacom: *140*recipient’s number#
- Cell C: *111*recipient’s number#
Note that these codes may not work for all users, and some networks may charge a fee for sending a “Please Call Me”. You should always check with your network provider before using this service.
How to personalize your “Please Call Me” on Telkom
If you want to add some flair to your “Please Call Me” message, you can personalize it with your own name or a custom text. To do this, you need to dial *140*2# and follow the instructions on your screen. You can choose to enter your name, a nickname, or a short message of up to 20 characters. For example, you can enter “John”, “Babe”, or “I miss you”.
Once you have entered your text, you will receive a confirmation message that says “Your Please Call Me name has been set to John”. The next time you send a “Please Call Me” to someone, they will see your name or message instead of your number. For example, they will see “Please Call Me John” or “Please Call Me I miss you”.
You can change your “Please Call Me” name as often as you like, or you can reset it to your number by dialing *1400#.
How to Manage Telkom Please Call Me Service
To manage the Telkom Please Call Me service, you need to dial the same USSD code (*140#) and select the “Manage Please Call Me” option. You will see a menu with three options: “Block Please Call Me”, “Unblock Please Call Me”, and “Customize Please Call Me”. You can choose the option that suits your needs and follow the instructions.
Frequently asked questions about “Please Call Me” on Telkom
Here are some common questions and answers about using the “Please Call Me” service on Telkom:
Q: How many “Please Call Me” messages can I send per day?
A: You can send up to 10 “Please Call Me” messages per day to other Telkom users. Each message is valid for 24 hours.
Q: How much does it cost to send a “Please Call Me” on Telkom?
It is free to send a “Please Call Me” on Telkom, as long as you have a valid Telkom SIM card and you are within the Telkom network coverage area.
Q: How do I know if someone has sent me a “Please Call Me” on Telkom?
A: You will receive an SMS notification that says “Please Call Me” followed by the sender’s number, name, or message. You can then decide whether to call them back or not.
Q: Can I block someone from sending me a “Please Call Me” on Telkom?
A: Unfortunately, there is no option to block someone from sending you a “Please Call Me” on Telkom. However, you can ignore their messages or ask them to stop sending them to you.
Q: Can I send a “Please Call Me” to someone who is overseas?
A: No, you can only send a “Please Call Me” to someone who is in South Africa and using a Telkom SIM card.
Conclusion
We hope this guide has helped you understand how to send a “Please Call Me” on Telkom, as well as how to personalize it, check your balance, and send it to other networks. A “Please Call Me” is a useful feature that can help you communicate with other Telkom users when you are out of airtime, or when you just want to save some money.
If you have any questions or feedback about this service, Telkom SIM Swap service, or anything else, feel free to leave a comment below. And if you found this article helpful, please share it with your friends and family who use Telkom. Thank you for reading!
